Gov. Ventura to Gov. Pence: ‘Keep religion out of government’ on RT America’s Off the Grid

In his first episode of ‘Off the Grid’ on RT America, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura takes on the hot topics of the day, including corporate fascism, religious freedom laws, how the government spies on cell phones and medical marijuana.

“Stand up for your rights! It’s time to boycott Indiana?
Secret trade deals and government encryption!” That’s how
Ventura kicks off his new-to-RT show.

The former professional wrestler, Minnesota governor and Navy
SEAL takes a closer look at the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
calling on Americans to support a constitutional amendment that
would say corporations do not have the same rights as people. To
Ventura, the TPP ‒ a free-trade agreement being negotiated by
businesses instead of politicians and largely in secret ‒ is just
one more example of increasing fascism in the United States.

“Today it’s corporations electing people to serve them, the
corporations, and this is just a prime example of it,”
Ventura says.

Ventura, who served as Minnesota’s executive from 1999 to 2003,
provides a governor’s take on the Religious Freedom and
Restoration Act (RFRA) laws states are passing. Specifically,
Ventura looks at how Governor Mike Pence (R-Indiana) handled the
passage of a RFRA there.

“Keep religion out of government, that’s the bottom
line” he tells Pence. “This will be abused because then
you’ll be able to deny civil rights on religious grounds.”

Ventura also takes a look at FBI director James Comey’s crusade
against digital encryption. He answers the question ‒ posed to
him by producer Brigida Santos from the Off the Grid Command
Center ‒ of whether it’s more concerning to have a zone of
privacy outside the reach of law or that the government wants to
watch our every move.

In the show’s ‘We’re #1’ segment, Ventura calls out the United
States for its mass incarceration rate.

“Isn’t it ironic that they say we’re the home of the brave,
land of the free?” he asks. “How can we use that term
when we are number one in the world with people in jail?”

Ventura also interviews a real-life vigilante, Mark Peterson of
the Missouri Cannabis Patient Network, on his efforts to legalize
medical cannabis in Missouri.

In the show’s final segment ‒ ‘What Would Jesse Ventura Do?’ ‒
the former governor looks at whether there is a link between gun
ownership and crime rates.

‘Off the Grid’ airs Fridays at 6pm and 9:30pm ET on RT America,
the exclusive worldwide broadcaster for the show. The show will
continue to stream online at ora.tv and will be available online
on rt.com. Follow Ventura on Twitter or on Facebook.